Method for gifting - legacy gifting

ABSTRACT

A kit and method of gifting having a gift with a portable box for holding a beverage along with a sequentially numbered set of drinking containers. The drinking containers are each engraved with a unique identifier indicia, serving as a user name, and a password for connection to a website to be used by the giver and recipient. Intentionally designed as a re-gifting method, the first recipient then becomes a giver, and gives the box as a gift with a beverage and a second set of drinking containers engraved with the next number in the sequence to a second recipient. Each recipient/giver retains the numbered set of beverage containers that were received from the previous giver of the kit. A journal and pen is maintained in the kit for each of the givers and recipients to record the gift and setting as the beverage is opened the drinking containers are used.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, TABLE, OR COMPUTER LISTING ON A COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The present invention relate to a method of gifting with a kit. The kit given as a gift includes a portable box or basket for holding a beverage, a numbered set of drinking containers, an ink pen and diary-style journal.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,256 to Doces describes a portable storage rack for stemmed glasses and other containers. The storage rack can be wall mounted for storage and removed for use on a table top or other support surfaces a for serving beverages. The storage rack can be used to support bottles and stemmed glasses.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,566 to Doces describes a storage rack for stemmed glasses and other containers. The stemmed storage rack can be used to support bottles and stemmed glasses that can be secured with a lockable bottle security cover. When in the raised or open position, access to the bottles in permitted. The cover can be moved to a closed position with a front panel being locked in position by a padlock.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,390 to Doces describes a greetings device having a loop for securement to bottle. The device made of paper or cardstock, with a slit cut and folding to create a surface for writing or printing a greeting message and secured to the neck of a bottle. The bottle and greeting device in combination are presumed to be part of a gifting presentation.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,831 describes a holder for a bottled beverage which is constructed from a cardboard blank. The blank defines a plurality of panels which are folded and locked together to form an interior for receiving a bottled beverage. The holder may be decorated or personalized for presentation as a gift.

However, none of the related art teach a method of gifting using a portable beverage box and drinking containers. The prior art for beverage gifting is generally limited to packaging the beverage or beverage precursor with containers and other items, for example complimentary food items. Such gifting focuses on the recipient as the end receiver/user, with the gift being an end in itself. Absent from this typical form of gifting is an emphasis on the giving experience rather than the gift, the relationship of the persons involved, and the concept of a gift that is designed to be re-gifted, potentially in perpetuity. Therefore, and improved method of gifting is provided as described below.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method of gifting which comprises: a gift kit which comprises a portable box or basket for holding a beverage container (bottled wine) or a closable container to hold a beverage precursor (coffee beans, ground coffee, tea leaves or bags), along with a sequentially numbered set of drinking containers for the beverage, wherein the drinking containers are each engraved with a unique identifier indicia for the particular kit, which serves as a user name for connection to a related website, and also engraved with an unique identifier to serve as a password for similar connection thereto. Fundamental to the method of gifting is for the kit to passed on from original giver to recipient, and from that recipient in turn another and so forth indefinitely. Each participant in the gifting process retains an engraved drinking container bearing the sequential number corresponding to their sequential place in the gifting/re-gifting process. With each passing of the kit, additional drinking containers are purchased bearing the next higher number in the sequence to bestowed upon the next recipient of the kit. The kit further contains a diary-style journal and ink pen to facilitate participants recording the setting and purpose of the gifting experience. Integral to the gifting/re-gifting process is the corresponding website location which allows perpetual monitoring of the passing and movement of the kit and ongoing communication or interaction among participants in the gifting sequence.

In further embodiments of the method, a kit may be utilized as a keepsake which is not sequentially re-gifted, but is retained by an individual or family to facilitate celebrations of significant events over time. Sequential numbering on the drinking containers can be substituted with engraving of important dates or other messaging, with the journal serving as a written history to document these events of significance.

In the various embodiments of the method, the special identifying indicia on drinking containers to be retained by the participants, the recording of the events in both the journal and on the corresponding website are all intended to create a unique identity, history and legacy associated with each kit and with each participant. Hence the present invention describes a method of gifting, or gifting experienced termed, “Legacy Gifting.”

OBJECTS

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of gifting.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a kit to be used for a method of gifting.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of gifting that utilizes a website to enhance and extend the gifting experience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the Legacy Gift Kit (or “Legacy Kit”) 10 of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

All patents, patent applications government publications, government regulations, and literature references cited in this specification are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In case of conflice, the proesetn description, including definitions will control.

The term “beverage” as used herein is a general term referring to any fluid beverage, including but not limited to wine, champagne, coffee, cocoa, tea or beer.

The term “precursor to a beverage” as used herein is a term referring to any concentrated, condensed, dried, freeze-dried or other precursor form of a beverage that can be converted into a final form of a beverage to be consumed. Examples include, but not limited to, tea leaves, tea bags, cocoa powder, coffee beans, ground coffee.

The term “closable container” as used herein is a general term referring to any container that can be closed such as, but limited to, a wine bottle, lidded glass jar, tea box, or the like.

The term “drinking containers” as used herein is a general term referring to any container for consuming a beverage such as, but not limited to, wine glasses; champagne glasses or flutes; cups or mugs for holding coffee, tea or cocoa and the like; beer glasses and steins.

The term “unique identifier indicia” as used herein is a general term referring to any indicia, including but not limited to numeric, alphabetic, or alphanumeric indicia.

The term “giver” as used herein is a general term referring to a person giving the gift to the recipient. The giver can be someone who previously was designated as a recipient during a former gifting cycle. However, a giver can also start the gifting sequence as the original purchaser of a kit, and therefore never be a recipient of the kit.

The term “recipient” as used herein is a general term referring to any person receiving the gift from the giver. It is intended that the recipient becomes the giver of the kit in the next gifting cycle. However, it is to be understood that this is not the case if a gifting sequence is terminated.

The terms “kit name”, “user name”, and “kit/user name” as used herein all refer to a unique identifier associated with a particular kit, which identifies a particular physical kit and functions as a login identifier for accessing a website.

The present invention provides a method of gifting referred to as “Legacy Gifting” in its preferred embodiment. Legacy Gifting involves a kit with a unique identified name, that name also serving as a “user name” for website access. In some embodiments, an example of a kit/user name, where the beverage is wine, could be “Merlot 2008”. In some embodiments, the kit will also have associated with it a password, also facilitating access to a website. In some embodiments, as an example, the password could incorporate an international toasting term along with a randomly assigned number, such as, “Salud 257”. In some embodiments, each of the drinking containers in the kit will be etched with both the kit/user name and the password. In some embodiments, the kit container is a wooden box or a woven basket. In some embodiments, the drinking containers will also be etched with a simple sequential number, beginning literally with “No. 1” and “No. 2” signifying the purchaser and original giver (No. 1) and the first recipient (No. 2).

As used herein, such a kit is referred to as “Legacy Kit.” In some embodiments, the Legacy Kit will also contain a journal (Legacy Journal) and a pen. In some embodiments, the journal is a 5″×7″ blank, plain paper journal. In some embodiments, the pen is a quality pen, such as a quality ballpoint point ink pen. The wine box kit will preferably have space to hold four wine glasses and one bottle of wine. In some embodiments, the inside lid of the box will have space to hold the journal and the pen within a leather loop. One embodiment is a mug version, which is to include two or four mugs, with a hinge-lid decanter that can be used to hold a beverage precursor, for example, coffee beans, ground coffee, tea bags or other powdered beverage mix, such as hot cocoa and the like. In some embodiments of the Legacy Kit, an instruction card is provided with the kit that explains the Legacy Gifting process.

The sequential numbering of the glasses/mugs is to facilitate the main concept of this perpetual gifting concept. Giver No. 1, the first “giver”, purchases the kit and bestow it upon the first “recipient” (No. 2). It is intended that both the giver and the receiver sign and date the Legacy Journal, and describe the event and the purpose for the gift. After the giving of the kit, and sharing of the beverage, the first giver keeps the glasses/mugs marked No. 1. The first recipient keeps the kit, with journal and pen, and the glasses/mugs marked No. 2. Each of the participants are also encouraged to log on to the corresponding Legacy Gifts website (e.g. www.wineoffriendship.com or www.friendshipmugs.com) and enter a description of the events related to the gift, similar to that which is written in the Legacy Journal in the kit. This web log (“blog”) will be known as the Legacy Log, and is accessed by means of the user name and password engraved on the glasses/mugs.

When the first recipient is ready to pass on the gift, additional glasses/mugs marked “No. 3” are purchased and shipped. The first recipient then becomes the second giver, inserts his or her No. 2 glasses/mugs into the kit, along with the new “No. 3” glasses/mugs and the appropriate beverage. Hence completing the first of an indefinite number of potential gifting cycles. Each person involved with a particular kit will be considered members of that particular “Legacy Line.” All of the members of the Legacy Line can monitor the status of the kit by accessing the “space” on the website reserved for their particular kit. This unique “virtual community” and gifting concept is the genesis of Legacy Gifts' principle marketing expression (tag line), “Building a Legacy of Friends.” Likewise, the fact that the majority of the actual physical items of the gift are not kept, but passed on, the secondary tag line is, “The Gift is in the Giving.”

Thus, Legacy Gifting entails using sequentially-numbered drinking containers, associated with a particular kit, each kit having a corresponding identified “space” or “page” on a website, to create a unique gift-giving experience with the gift designed to be perpetually re-gifted. The kit also contains a journal and a pen such that the “legacy” or history of the given kit is added to the journal over time and will be physically present with the kit as new participants receive it.

Legacy Gifting is an entirely unique combination of four, heretofore, unconnected concepts. Gifting involving gift packages of beverages or involving commemorative engraved glasses or mugs, and web logging and “social networking,” particularly among people with a common interest, are three ubiquitous features of the market place. Gifts designed to purposely be re-gifted, and do so with sequentially-numbered commemorative items, such that all parties involved create a connected legacy, are unknown at this time, if not in fact, non-existent. The combination of the four elements together is utterly unique in the market place. An advantage of the Legacy Gifting concept is that it allows consumers to make a gift expression that emphasizes the event or giving experience over a material item, and which is a community-creating opportunity. Tangible gifts in the market place rarely offer this opportunity.

Thus, the present invention provides kits and methods of gifting with a gift including a portable box holding beverages and drinking containers. One embodiment of the method of gifting of the present invention uses a kit 10 of wine and wine glasses 22 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The kit 10 includes a portable box 20. The box 20 is used to hold a closable container, such as a wine bottle 21, for holding a beverage such as wine. While in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 the wine bottle 21 is provided full of wine, in alternative embodiments the closable container can be used to hold a precursor to a beverage. In some embodiments, the precursor is a dry material for making a beverage.

A sequentially numbered set of drinking containers, such as wine glasses 22 are included for the beverage to be consumed. The stemmed wine glasses 22 are provided in box 20 so that the giver and recipient can share a glass of the wine as the beverage. The bowl of each of the stemmed wine glasses, 22 is engraved with a unique identifier indica 25A for the particular kit. In addition, the indicia 25A, which serves as a user name, and a password 25B are engraved on the drinking containers to both be used for connecting to a website. Further, the indicia 24A, 24B are engraved with sequential numbers to indicate the giver and recipient's ordinal place in the gifting sequence. An instruction card 28 is provided with the kit that explains the Legacy Gifting process. The first giver and a first recipient use the kit when sharing the beverage. After sharing the beverage, such as wine, the first recipient then becomes a second giver and gives the box 20 as a gift with a second set of containers (not shown) to a second recipient. The first giver retains a first of numbered containers 24A in the kit with the lower numbers. The first recipient then purchases a new, higher numbered set of containers (not shown) to place in the box for the next recipient, along with their commemorative glasses, 24B. A journal 26 and a pen 27 are also provided in the kit for each of the givers and recipients to record the date of the gifting and details of the gifting, such as the type of wine or other beverage and the setting of the gifting event.

While the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrated embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited hereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings herein will recognize additional modifications and embodiments within the scope thereof. Therefore, the present invention is limited only by the claims attached herein. 

1. A method of gifting which comprises: (a) a gift kit which comprises a portable box for holding a closable container for a beverage or a precursor to a beverage along with sequentially numbered drinking containers for the beverage, wherein the drinking containers are each engraved with a unique identifier indicia for the particular kit, serving as a user name, and engraved with a unique password for connection to a website to be used by each of the participants in the gifting method, wherein at least the first recipient becomes a subsequent giver of the kit, with a second beverage and second set of drinking containers restored to the box and given to a second recipient, and wherein each giver retains the set of the numbered drinking containers with lower numbers and each recipient purchases a new, higher numbered set of drinking containers to place in the box for the next recipient; and (b) a journal and pen intended for use by the participants of the gifting method to sign, date, and record the setting and details of the gifting event as the beverage container is opened and the drinking containers are used to consume the beverage; and (c) a “page” or “space” that is reserved on a website corresponding exclusively to the particular box as identified by its unique user name and password.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the closable container holds wine or champagne and the drinking container is a stemmed wine or champagne glass.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the closable container is a hinge-lid decanter or jar for holding a beverage precursor, where the precursor may be coffee beans, ground coffee, tea leaves or bags, powered cocoa or other beverage precursor and the drinking container is a mug.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the website allows givers and recipients to record events of the gift.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein givers and recipients can track passage of the kit and potentially interact with previous and future participants in the gifting sequence online via the particular website page using the user name and password.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the website allows the purchasing of drinking containers with the appropriate engraved identifiers and numbers online.
 7. A method of gifting which comprises: (a) a gift kit which comprises a portable box for holding a wine bottle along with a sequentially numbered set of glasses for wine, wherein the glasses are each engraved with a unique identifier indicia for the kit, serving as a user name, and an unique password, both to be used for connection to a unique page on a website, wherein the first recipient becomes the second giver and gives the box as a gift with wine and a second set of glasses to a second recipient, and wherein each giver retains the lowered numbered set of the glasses and each recipient purchases a new, higher numbered set of glasses to place in the box for gifting to the next recipient; and (b) a journal and pen intended for use by the participants of the gifting method to sign, date, and record the setting and details of the gifting event as the wine is opened and the glasses are used to consume the wine; and (c) a “page” or “space” that is reserved on a website corresponding exclusively to the particular box as identified by its unique user name and password.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the beverage container is a prepackaged bottle of wine.
 9. A kit for gifting which comprises: (a) a portable box or basket; (b) a prepackaged beverage or a closable container for a beverage or beverage precursor and a sequentially numbered set of drinking containers are nested in the box or basket, wherein the drinking containers are engraved with a unique identifier indicia for the particular kit, serving as a user, and a password for connection to a website; (c) a journal and a pen for each of the givers and recipients to record and date the setting and purpose of the gift as the beverage and drinking containers are used. (d) instructions explaining the gifting method wherein each giver retains the lowered numbered set of drinking containers and each recipient retains the kit, the higher numbered set of drinking containers, and becomes the next giver purchasing the next higher set of engraved drinking containers to be given to a subsequent recipient. 